Automatic wrapping machine



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A. E. MASPONS AUTOMATIC WRAPPING MACHINE Filedmmh 7,0. 1921 15 sheets-sheet 14 m. M //a 'Q-? A E. MASPONS AUTOMATIC WRAPPING MA-GHIANE l nled march so. 1921 15" 4Sheena-sheet 15 57i 356 it' `-Patented uly 8, .l

ALBERT E. MASPONS, 0F PHILADELPHIA., PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC WRAIVPING MACHINE.

,in the wrappers, so that the cigars shall'be protected against soiling, contamination, deterioration, or other injury, whether by atmospheric influences, by handling, or in other ways. I aim to accomplish the entire wrapping and sealing by a completely automatic and continuous operation or series of operations, without the necessity for manual intervention at any stage, from beginning to end.

For-the purposes of my invention, I have devised a method of Wrapping and sealing the cigars, especially in metal foil, by a series of novel steps or operations. The order of these steps or operations admits of Vsome variation: and in some cases some of the steps hereinafter described may even be omitted.

'The mechanisms and devices which vI have evolved for carrying out the wrapping and accessory operations in proper correlation are themselves new and useful, both individually, and in other combinations and subcombinations besides those here shown and described.

In .the completely automatic machine embodying my invention, which I shall hereinafter describe, the unwrapped cigars may be deposited in a receiving hopper, whence they are fed and delivered to the primary wrapping and sealing mechanisms. By these mechanisms, the wrappers are fed in, a sealing agent is applied to them, and they are initially rolled about the cigars. The initially wrapped cigars are then received by suitable transfer, carrying and holding mechanism, and are thereby carried and presented, step by step, to other wrapping mechanisms and devices atsuccessive stations; and the wrapping and sealing are thus perfected and finished i-n a plurality of successive operations.

In the machine here illustrated and described, the perfecting mechanisms include application med March 3o, 1921. serial No. 456,861.

Vdevices for initially creasing, pressing down and shaping the wrapping material abput the ends of the cigars; devices for gathering or compacting and vsmoothing the extreme ends of the wrappers and bringing them to a closer fit at the extreme ends or tips of the cigars; devices for further pressing or adjusting the wrappers to a s nug conformity to the surfaces or contour of the cigars, especially on the tapered ends, where they have previously lbeen creased and initially folded or pressed down; and devices fo'r trimming olf superfluous wrapping material at the ends of the cigars and forV finally compacting and smoothing the adjacent portions of the wrappers and finally bringing them to a close fit. These perfecting devices are provided and arranged to operate on both ends of an initially wrapped cigar concurrently, as the cigar is held at its middle and successively presented to them by the holding and carrying mechanism. Moreover. the various lparts and devices of the machine can be adjusted as may be required to enable the machine to operate to the best advantage on cigars of different types and sizes.

Other advantages and features of my invention will appear from the description hereinafter of one of various forms my invention may take.

In the accompanying drawings, which are merely a preferred form of embodiment of lthe invention c Fig. l is an elevational view, partly in sec- 90 tion, as indicated by line I in Fig. 17, illustrating a machine constructed in accordance with this invention. s

Fig. 2 is a corresponding elevation of the hopper and chute mechanism by means of which. the cigars are fed into the machine,A on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 .is a. view at right angles to Fig. 2, showing another side of the hopper and chute mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line IV in Figs. 2 and 3. from above.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken at the plane of line V in Fig. 2, also looking downward.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the plane of line VI in Fioj. 3, looking downward.

Fig. 7 is a. fragmentary detail side view of being taken at the plane of line .XI in4 Fi l2.

`Fig. 12 is a view of part of the Wrapping vmachine, the plane of said vievv being indi-4' cated by the line XII in Fig. 11.

Fig. 12Il is a fragmentary view, partly in section,illustrating' a detail of construction..

Fig. 13 is an enlarged end elevation of the gumming mechanism.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detailed view illustrating the manner of mounting and adjusting a part of the wrapping mecha# nism. y

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary detail View for illustrating the' centering device for center` .1n Fig. 37

ing the cigars being Wrapped.

Figfl is a lfragmentary detail view illu`strating the cam mechanism and levers for operatm the centering device of Fig. 15. Fig. 1 is averticalsectional vievvl taken throughthe machine substantially. at the plane of line XVII in Fig. 1. Fig. 418 is a detail sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line XVIII in Fig. 1.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary detail vieW illus- ,trating the operatin means for one of the moving frames Whic carries the perfecting devices.

` one of the grippers.

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary detail View illustrating the stepby-step movement for the gripper device, taken as indicated by line XX in Fig. 17.

Fig.` 21 is an enlarged detail vieWillus trating the operating means for the grippen device.

A Fig. 22 is an enlarged detail side vievw7 of Fig.` 23 is a top plan view ofthe structure shown vin Fig. 22. y Fig. 24 is a transverse sectional view taken at the plane of line XXIV in Fig. 22. 4

Fig. 25 is a transverse sectional view taken atl the plane of line XXV in'Fig. 22'.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view illustrating the construction of -the preliminary creasing device.

Fig. 27 isa view similar to Fig. 26, but at right angles thereto.

Fig. 28 is an endelevation of the device shown in Figs. 26- and 27.v

Fig..l29 is a transverse sectional vievvtaken in Fig. 39, and

substantially at lines iu Figs'. -26land'27. -V

Fig. 3 0 is an enlarged fragmentary/detail viewillustrating the construction' and operation ofthe `porti-ons of :thel ereas'ingfdevice which directly engage the'cigar Fig. 31- is an enlarged longitudinal 'sectional vieW :illustrating one o fthe devices which may be employedfor gathering orcompacting and smoothing the endportions -of the vWrapping material.

Fig. 32 is aplan view of apdrtion of the device shovvn in Fig. 31.*

Fig. 33 is an end 'view ofthe gripping jaws of said device. 1 Fig.' 3 4 is an enlarged detail'vieW illustrating the kneading devices for kneading down the'covering material over the endsv of thel cigar.

Fig. 35 is an end view of the devices sho-Wu in Fig. 34.

V"Fig, 36y is a sectional view taken. as indi- 'i y cated by line XXXVI in Figs. '34 and 35.

Fig. is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional vievr of a trimming -and ironing device for completing the operation upon one end of: the cigar.

Fig. 38 is an end view of the device shown Fig. 39 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the trimming and ironing supplying to'the Wrapping .mechanism of the machine the cigars to bevvrapped.

From this hopper 2 the cigars are fed downward in a column and tabled oi', one at ping material by mechanism indicated at v3', and carried to perfecting or finishing devices or mechanism Where they successively pass through' other steps; first, at 4, of hav-- cigar; second, at 5, of havingfthe end portions of the Wrapping material gathered or l() compacted to a better fit over the ends of the cigar; third, at 6, of having the end portions of the Wrapping material pressedv or smoothed down to fit more snugly'over the ends of the cigar; and lastly, at 7, lof having .the Wrapper finally. compacted and vdevice employed for completing'the opera'- a time, Wrapped roughly in a suitable Wraping thevend portions of the lWrapping ma# terial initially shaped about the ends of the smoothed, and any excessive or projecting Y portions of the covering material trimme olf, preparatory to delivery of the cigar with. its wrapper completed.

The hopper2 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) has livery opening at the bottom of the hopper.4

The end walls 10'and 11 are adjustable toward and away from each other to'alter the length ofthe discharge opening.

The side walls 8 and 9 have openings 12 therein through which extend endless moving belts,'13. (See Figs. 2 and These 'belts run upon suitably separated rolls 14 carried exteriorl of the walls 8 and 9, and are so arranged t at the inner lead 15 of each belt traverses the inner face of the wall and. serves as an agltatlng means for causing or insuring proper feeding of the cigars downwardly into the discharge opening and the chute at Athe bottom of the hopper. lThe belts may be driven in any suitable manner; as indicated, the lowermost rollers of the two .belts are connected together by a sprocket chain or belt 16, and are both driven by a belt or chain 17 serving as a driving connection to some other moving part of the machines. To take car'e of adjustment of the wall 9 toward or away from wall 8, a suitable tightener device is provided for the chain 16, in the form ofan idler roller 18 swinging at the free end of an arm 19 pivoted upon the shaft of one of the lowermost rollers 14.

From the dischargeopening of the hopper 2 extends downward a chute made up of side walls 2O and 21, and end walls 22 and 23. (See Fig. IV.) The side wall 2O is stationary, while the side wall 21 is mounted to move toward or away from the wall 20 for adjustingY the transverse width of the passage through'the chute.v The end walls 22 and 23 are movable toward and away from each other for adjusting the transverse length of the passage.

yThe side wall 20 of the chute (see Figs. 1 and 9) has fixed thereto a bracket 24 by means of which it is supported at the upper end of a Suitable standard 25 rising from the main base plate,` ortable. 26 of the machine frame, and the side wall 8 of the hopper is secured rigidly to the wall 2O by means. of a connecting plate 27 (Fig. 2.) All of the remaining walls of the hopper and chute are supported upon and.made adjustable relatively to the walls 8 and 20, as

In the wall 20 are slots'v28 (see Figs. 2,

3 and 6) through which extend lugs 29 car' ried by ange portions 30 of the end walls 22 and 23. These lugs constitutethe sole supports for mounting the walls 22 and23- slots 28. There are two of the lugs 29 for;

each side wall 22 and 23, .one adjacent the upper ends of said side walls,and one adjacent the lower ends of said side walls, and

veach lug has a threaded aperture 32 therethrough. Through the threaded'ap'ertures of the lower lugs'extends a'shaft 33, and a similar shaft 34 extends through the apertures of the two upper lu s. Both of these shafts are suitably threa ed to engage the threads of the apertures,-'and they ,are geared together by means of suitable gears 35 and 'een 36 and a vertical shaft 37, so that rotation' of the shaft 34, as by turning the thumbnut 38, will produce corresponding rotation ofV shaft 33 and movementv of the walls 2,2 and 23 toward or away 'from each other at both ends in unison` according to the direction of rotation of the thumb nut.

The'end wall 10 of the hopper (Fig. 3) is fixed to and carried by the chute wall 23, so as to move rigidly therewith at all times. The end. wall 11 o'f the hopper Ahas at its upper corners a pair of projecting lugs, as 39, arranged for selective engagement in any one .of a series of notches 40 in the lower edgesof slots in the walls 8 and 9. The lower edge portion of this wall 11 hangs just within the upper end of the chute, against the inner. surface of its end wall 22. Instead of being a single wall member extending between .the end walls 22 Vand 23, the side wall 21 of the chute consists of two separate strips 41 and 42, Fig. 4, one mounted 'on each of said end walls, and independently adjustable thereupon. The mechanisms by which these wall strips 41 and 42 are adj ustably mounted are identical, as follows:

To the wall strip 41 are attached a pair of bracket pieces 43 and 44 (see Figs.A 2 and 4) which are slotted, as at 45, to straddle the wall 22 adjacent its upper and lower ends. The slots 45 receive the adjacent por tions of the wall 22 and serve to guide the .wall strip 41 and to Amaintain it at all times the adjacent threaded ends of the levers.

(See Figs. 2 and 5.) Rotation of the thumb screw 52 will swing levers 50 and 51 upon their respective pivots -50a and 51a on the outer sides of the wall 22, and produce parallel movement -of the two bracket pieces 43 and 44, so that both ends of'the t wall strip 41 will be moved transversely across the end wall 22, toward or away from the wall 20, in unison, according to the direction of rotation of the thumb screw. Since the adjusting devices for the two wall Cil strips 4l and 42 areindependently operable, they. may ,be readily moved to different dise tances toward or away from the wall this is important, since it enables the wall` cigars will lill the'chute and (if in suffi-4 y cient number) will pile up within the hopper. The end wall l1.1 of the hopper is low, so as to give convenient access into the hopper at all times, since it is only necessary that the cigars be -so placed in the hopper that their inner ends will abut against the end vwall 10. By adjustment ofA theend wall l1 to an appropriate inclina-v tion, moreover, anyr cigars not initially placed in engagement with the wall 10 will be automatically pushed toward the latter during their descent, by' engagement with the inclined surface of the wall 1l.

It may be here noted that the driving connections forthe agitating belts 15 are such as to cause the portions of the belts within :the hopper to more in vopposite directions that is, one belt tomove downwardly an the other upwardly. The cigars engaging the belts will thus be caused to rotate gently, so that they will-feed into the chute without diiculty. i

' To control the discharge of the cigars singly from the lower end of the column'in the chute` a mechanism comprising a pair of stops 53 aud 54 is provided (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and lll) to toll oif the cigars.

The stop 53 is arranged above the stop 5.4 and is adapted to retain and support the main column of cigars above, while the vstop 54 operates to release the lowermost cigar. v

The stop 53 consists of a pair of plates 55 ,and 56 supported at the lower end of a swinging carrier57. which is pivoted at 58 upon a supporting block 59 adjustably mounted on the outer surface of the'wall 20. The means of adjustment for the supporting bloc-k 59 consists of a setscrew 60 threaded upon a stud 6l project-ing laterally from the wall 2O through a vertical slot 62 in said block. The vertical position of the stop 53 with. its stop plates 55 and 56 relative to the stop 54 may thus be adjusted at will; this adjustment must, of co`urse, correspond with the diameter of the cigars.

To prevent possible injury or mutilation-l of the cigars when the device 53 enters and p engages between them. the stop plates 55 and v56 are made laterally flexible, by being pivotally supported upon their carrying frame 57 (see Figs. 7 and 8), each being resiliently and `yieldingly held in a nor-- mally operative'position by means `of a leaf spring 63 4engaging against a square heel of the plate 55 adjacent the hinge.

The stop 54 consists of a pair of plates surface of thel chute Wall 20. This shaft' carries at another point in its length a seo- 0nd crank arm 74, at whose free' end is' a pin 75 adapted to engage in a slot.7 6 in a vertical slide bar 77, mounted upon the outer face ofthe chute wall 20. Theslide bar 77 may be moved up and downto'rock the arm 7 4 by means of a link`7 8 connected to its lower end. The link 78 is connected to an extended portion of a movable member 199v to be hereinafter described '(see e F ig. 11), so that the link will move upand down as the member 199 is oscillated in a verticaly plane. .f

To operate the swinging stop frame 66, a second shaft 79 is provided, parallel with shaft 72 and rotatably supported in a bearing member 80. This shaft has at one end a crank arm 81 positioned back of yan adjacent portion 'of the frame 66, at its other end a crank arm 82, positioned to be engaged by a pin 83 (see Fig.4) which is carried by the .slide bar 717.

In operation, an upwardl .movement of `slide bar 77rst produces an upward swing of crank arm 74 and a consequent inward movement of the stop frame.A 57 and the stop fingers 55 and 56 to engage beneath and retain all cigars above them. lAs the slide bar 77 continues. to move upwardly with the pin 75.1iding upon its edge surface, the pin 83 engages the arm 82 and causes the stop frame 66 to swing outward and withdraw the stop plates 64 and 65 from beneath the lowermost cigar, allowing said cigar to fall by gravity into the wrapping device .3. Upon return downward movement of the slide bar 7, the pin 83 leaves the arm 82 and allows the stop plates 64 and 65 to return by gravity to position 'within the chute. The continued downward movement of the slide bar 77 brings the slot 76 again into (io-operation with the pin 75 and operates the sto'p frame. 57 to withdraw the stop plates 55 and- 56, so that the whole column within the chute may fall on to the top plates 64 an'd 65. 70 for receiving pin 69 is made of such The above-mentioned slot -r i v'1,500,143

leligthasj to properly accommodate said pin,

and to enable said pin to fully perform its function of swinging the frame 5 7, irrespecti-ve of vertical adjustment of the frame When the lowcrmost cigar, as C, drops sidewise from the lower end of'thc'chute,

it falls into a cradle 85 provided to receive it directly beneath the chute. (See Figs. 1,

.9 and 11.) This 'cradle is formed as a curved flange at the lower edge of an inclined arcuate plate 86 which is mounted upon a pair of arms 87 and 88. These arms are pivoted to swing on a shaft 89 (see Fig. 10), and the'. curve of the plate 86 is such that the outer cillating the cradle 85 and the plate 86 upand down about the center of the shaft 89. The lower end of the link 91 is pivotally connected, as at 291, with one end of an arm 292 which is fixed to a rock shaft 293. At another point in the length of this shaft a second arm 197 is fixed, and a link 198 is con-- nected between the outer end of this second arm and thee'ccentrifstrap 155 surrounding the eccentric 156011"l theshaft 125. The tin foil is-in strip form, and is fcd downward upon the plate86and to the cradle 85 from a supply roller 170 (Fig. 10), as will be hereinaftenset forth. I Periodically, just after each cigar'falls,= a.: reciprocating cutter 93 (Figs. 9,311,212 and-"f l) operates to sever the strip atfalproperfpoint on its `Way to the cradle solas to .cutoffg'a proper portion (including that in the cradle 85) for wrapping acigaizf Periodically, about as the plate 86 moves downwardly, the tin foils feeds down also;

and as the plate 86 rises, the lower or leading vedge of the piece of tin foil is engaged by the curvingesurfaceof'the cradle and is made to curvesoutwardly and upwardly, so

. that it forms iirleifecta liner for. the cradle 50 at the time when the cigar falls sidewise into the cradle; i. e., the lower edge of thetin foil standsinafposition substantially as indicated at 494. .As the `leading edge of the tin foil reaches the curve of the cradle 85, during the rise of the cradle (before the dropping of the cigar), a folder device 95 swings over close to the plate 86 just above the cradle and serves as a guide to insure its curling in the manner just described instead of curling Aor buckling in the opposite direction. The device 95 at once recedes'again to allow the cigar when dropped to fall upon the tin foil in the cradle. After the dropping of the cigar, the folder device 95. immediately swings forward again and operates to fold over or turn the tin foil will be rolled and wrapped en- Y tirely around the l cigar. by the co-acting members 86 and 96. Y

The folder-device is pivot-ally mounted upon a pivot rod 97 carried by plate 96, and

yit is provided with an arm 98 extending beyond the pivot and turned laterally to engage within a slot 99 at the lower end of a lever 100. (See Fig. 9.) The lever 100 ispivotally mounted upon a stationary pivot 101, and

its upper-end carries a roller 102`positioned to be engaged by a cam member 103 arranged to swing with the plate 86 about the shaft 8,9.' The cam 103 is of appropriate shape to cause the folder device to operate in proper timed relation to the downward movement of the cigar-,'etc., as above described.

The cutter 93 (see Figs. 9, 11,12, 15 and '17) consists of a'smallknifeedge wheel orv roller rotatably mounted at one end of a slide bar 104. Twoguide rods 105 are fixed parallel with the slide bar 104, vand a cross head 106, carried by the slide bar adjacent to the cutter roller, engages these guide rods to retain the 4cutter roller in proper cutting association with an underlying stationary plate or platen 107 over which the tin foilpasses. The outer end of the slide or cutter bar 104 is connecte'd with the upper end of a lever 108 by means of suitable links 109, and the lever 108 extends into operative connection with a cam 110 mounted upon the main drive shaft 111 of the machine, Fig. 17. The lever 108 is pivoted intermediate its length, as at 112,

and the shape of the cam 110 is such that the cutter roller is caused to move in one direction across the surface of the platen 107 to cut oli' a piece of tin foil for one cigar and to move in the opposite direct-ion backwardly across the surface of platen 107 to cut olf another piece of tin foil for'the next cigar. The cutter roller stands idle at the opposite extremities of its reciprocatory movement while the tin foil is being fed downwardly to the cradle.

Two clamp plates 113 and 114 (Figs. 11 and 12) are provided for retaining the wrapping material (as tin foil) against ,movement while the cutter rollerV 93 is in operation. The lclamp plate'113 is ar- "ranged just above the cutter, and is pivot- 

